Pet Peeve - Email from "friends"

**TheAntiPam** · 05-26-2001, 01:17 AM

This week in my email, I received 28 jokes, 4 guardian angels, 11 unbroken luck chains and 3 sick/dying child wishes for email. These messages came from 8 different people, from my "friends". Not one of the wrote anything directed at me specifically. Not one of them asked how I am doing. Not one of them asked if I was still job hunting after being laid off. Not one of them wrote about their families or activities. Not one of them took the time to communicate.

Well, that isn’t exactly true. What they did communicate came through loud and clear. They told me that they have time to forward worthless email to people they know. They also told me they don’t want to bother to think for themselves, but would rather rely on canned emails to communicate. They told me they want to stay connected, but they don’t want to invest their time to do so. They told me they care enough about me to keep my email address, but they don’t care enough to send a part of themselves.

Next time you decide to forward a useless message to someone, be a real friend instead. Don’t just fill their email boxes with junk. Fill their hearts with YOU!

**4 feline house** · 05-26-2001, 01:40 AM

Fortunately, I don't get many of that c*** at home, since I don't a whole lot of people my email address. But some gal at work has put me on her list, and she sends me all of the above, and has the nerve to do it on company time using company equipment! I see her name pop up on my groupwise notify, and I just delete it. I'm very tempted to send her a link to snopes- http://www.snopes2.com/ since alot of those stupid emails about men climbing into the cars of women as they pump their gas and dying kids are all addressed at that site, but that still wouldn't stop the ignorant chain letters - "be sure to keep the chain going so God will answer your prayers!" - I guess God ignored all our supplications before email chain letters were invented!

AnitPam, it's been awhile since I have read one of your posts, so I didn't know you've been laid off. I was too, about six months ago (at least, that was the most recent layoff!) so I know what you are going through. You eagerly check your email, hoping to get a response to you online resume, and all you get is useless junk mail.

I know this is all off-subject, but I'm kinda glad you felt the need to vent, because this is becoming a growing problem.

I hope you find a job soon.

**nsweezie** · 05-26-2001, 08:44 AM

I have the same problem, my hotmail account will usually have 1 email from someone that I actually know, and 30+ from gambling sites, porn sites, chain letters etc. It is completely maddening!

**jackiesdaisy1935** · 05-26-2001, 08:57 AM

Same problem with junk mail here, I feel the same way with people forwarding junk you don't really care about or want to read.
TheAntiPam and 4 feline house, I hope you get jobs soon, I know how discouraging that is and I think there will be a lot more layoffs with the gasoline and natural gas and electric prices sky high. Keep the Faith!

**4 feline house** · 05-26-2001, 09:16 AM

Jackiesdaisy-I was fortunate to have found a job only about two months after having been laid off - but thanks for the well wishes!

**Pam** · 05-26-2001, 09:30 AM

I think this is a problem for most everyone. I have not been able to think of a delicate way to tell the offenders "thanks but no thanks." The amazing thing is that some of the same old e-mails circulate and circulate and keep reappearing in my inbox.

Good point 4 Feline House...I don't think God needs e-mails to do His work for Him.

Spencer you make a good point about viruses.

**Logan** · 05-26-2001, 09:33 AM

Along the same lines (and I agree with you all), read the following link:
http://www.msnbc.com/news/576899.asp

This week, a "child", who admitted she 12 years old e-mailed me, talked about my Golden Retrievers, told me where she lives, her name, etc. And asked me if I wanted her to send me a picture. I thought about it, told her that I have a young daughter, and I certainly wouldn't want my daughter e-mailing strangers and especially wouldn't allow her to send out her picture. So my suggestion was that she talk to her mother about it first, and then if her mother agreed and contacted me, then we could correspond. By the way, this child found me on the MSN Golden Retriever site. Anyway, first thing this morning, I had an e-mail that said she wouldn't be able to talk with me anymore because her mother told her she couldn't talk with strangers.. AMEN!!!!

**4 feline house** · 05-26-2001, 11:26 AM

I agree about workplace "playing". It is one of my pet peeves and always has been - people who spend virtually hours talking on the phone to friends, spend 20 -30 minutes in the coffee room when they first get to work, and now using employer resources to send junk e-mail and surf the web. When I got my new job, something compelled me to look at the internet history and temp files, and I'm glad I did! The URLs had words in them I wouldn't repeat to my best friend! And these were on computers owned by the school! I quickly obliterated everything I could find, lest someone think it was me looking at that filth! I'm no prude by any means, but this was at work!

[This message has been edited by 4 feline house (edited May 26, 2001).]

**TheAntiPam** · 05-26-2001, 12:16 PM

Thanks for the good wishes, all! I'm still job hunting, but it sure is lots more fun staying home with my two cats!

The problem of using work or school resources for personal entertainment is rampant. It appears to me to be yet another case of "the rules apply to everyone except me." This syndrome can have terrible consequences, as most of us eventually learn.

As the old saying goes, the more I know about humans, the more I love my pets. I have never gotten a forwarded purr or a fifth-hand copy of a snuggle from my fur friends!

**4 feline house** · 05-26-2001, 12:54 PM

Exactly!

**Ben E Gas** · 05-29-2001, 09:19 PM

I just delete em'.

Could be a virus.

**gini** · 05-30-2001, 12:19 AM

I had to laugh at all that has been said.
I wholeheartedly agree that the workplace is no place for personal jokes, chain letters etc. I have a friend who is the administrator at a law firm. When they first went online - everyone was happy and using their computers to surf. Do you know what they surfed for? You guessed it - porn sites. A stern management memo stopped it.

I get too many jokes - same ones - 3 and 4 times. I get too many ads - offers etc.
However, I have a brother out of the country for weeks at a time - and we can keep in touch by email daily - and it is warm and fun to hear from him.

Then I have a friend whose wife is a fantastic gardener. He got a new digital camera and I now have a picture of every flower, bush, shrub, tree that is planted in their yard. After the fifteenth rose - I sorta lost interest. I would have much rather seen pictures of their beautiful cat and not one showed up.

If we can only reach God through email, then I guess we are in trouble. However, there is a funny one circulating about reaching God through his voice mail.....push 1 to leave a message - push 2 if it is an emergency and so on.

AntiPam I hope you do get a job soon, but in the meantime, enjoy your special moments with your furkids.

Now - back to Pet of The Day!!!!!!!

------------------

**4 feline house** · 05-30-2001, 12:48 PM

Actually, I like the jokes - when they come from real friends to my personal email box - but nothing to my work mailbox, and nothing having to do with urban legends, chain letters, or ads, and nothing from people who only send me the last three!